Pilgrim for Life

I sent some extra stuff, about 2.3 kilos, from Burgos on Tuesday, May 8, to the SdC Post Office. The clerk at the Burgos Post Office said it would be no problem for the SdC PO to hold the package for 3 weeks. I just received confirmation that the SdC PO has received my package and I need to pick it up by May 26! I won't be in SdC until about May 31. I did some Googling on the topic and one site said that if the package was not picked up within 15 days, it would be returned to the PO of origin! HELP! What do i do now?!?

Camino Fossil AD 1999

I sent some extra stuff, about 2.3 kilos, from Burgos on Tuesday, May 8, to the SdC Post Office. The clerk at the Burgos Post Office said it would be no problem for the SdC PO to hold the package for 3 weeks. I just received confirmation that the SdC PO has received my package and I need to pick it up by May 26! I won't be in SdC until about May 31. I did some Googling on the topic and one site said that if the package was not picked up within 15 days, it would be returned to the PO of origin! HELP! What do i do now?!?

I would contact @ivar and see if he can rescue it for you, but the problem is that anybody turning up at the Post Office needs to show ID to proof that they are entitled to pick up the parcel. Something rather logical if you think about it ;-) If you find a way to get such a proof to me, I would be happy to pick your parcel up and keep it for you. Buen Camino, SY

In the last year or two, the Correos has gotten into supporting the Camino and pilgrims in a big way. They once only held items for 15 days.

More recently, I either heard or read somewhere that they will hold the parcel for free for 15 days. After that there is a nominal daily storage charge. I THINK they softened on sending the parcel back from whence it came.

SYates offer above is still the best game in town. If it were me, I would find someone around you who could translate the receipt they gave you when you shipped the stuff to Santiago. There may be a definitive statement of the storage rules.

Or, they may be able to help you go into the next Correos you come to and ask for help to explain this. Failing having a nearby bilingual fellow pilgrim, use either Microsoft or Google Translator on your smartphone to compose a sequence of simple questions (like flash cards) to explain your dilemma to a postal clerk. Occasionally you get lucky and someone will speak a little English, but it is better if you can do this in Spanish.

Pilgrim for Life

Thank you so much t2andreo and SYates!!!!! This is my 4th Camino Frances (plus a Camino Portugues) and it's the first time I have mailed excess items ahead to Santiago. I sure would think that I am not the first pilgrim to encounter this situation.

Veteran Member

Fred, I've done six caminos and I am STILL mailing stuff to Ivar (instructions are here in the forum) or to my reserved lodgings (after they approve me doing so).

My record, set in 2017 was five parcels sent on my Portuguese Camino. Sometimes, I think Ivar gives me his "frequent fools discount." I was still mailing things from the last 100 Km in Spain. Some folks (me) are just more stubborn than others. I maintain that I remain a work in progress...

Relax, sending stuff ahead just means you are acutely aware of the negative aspects of carrying too much.

Camino Fossil AD 1999

The parcel is now safely in my hands and will wait for @Fred Bovenkamp at my place. If you run into similar problems, the solution is:

Find "somebody" in Santiago that will pick up your parcel.
Ask them for their full name, address and passport number.
Send a letter of authorization (in Spanish!) to that person in Santiago, with your name, your passport number, the tracking number of your parcel AND a photocopy of your passport plus the info mentioned above.
Ideally get a stamp and signature (as witness) from somebody else, f.e. hospitalero.
Done!

Buen Camino, SY

Sample text for said letter replace text in {brackets} with your info:

Estimados Señores y Señoras,

Yo {your name as it appears on the parcel} autorizo a {name and passport number of the person who will pick parcel up}, con domicilio en {address of said person} de recibir el paquete que he enviado el día {date when you send it} desde {town where you sent it from} con el numero {insert tracking number and/or any other information that might help identify the parcel} porque soy peregrino en el Camino de Santiago y no voy a llegar en tiempo para recogerlo yo mismo.